


Pride

by leiascully



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Coming Out, Family, Gen, X-Files OctoberFicFest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-05
Updated: 2016-10-05
Packaged: 2018-08-22 09:55:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8281741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leiascully/pseuds/leiascully
Summary: He’d been working up to it for weeks, it felt like, endlessly rehearsing how the conversation might go.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Timeline: NA  
> A/N: From a tumblr fic prompt.  
> Disclaimer: _The X-Files_ and all related characters are the property of Chris Carter, 1013 Productions, and Fox Studios. No profit is made from this work and no infringement is intended.

He’d been working up to it for weeks, it felt like, endlessly rehearsing how the conversation might go. His parents were cool. He was pretty sure. But he wasn’t 100% sure. He wondered if anybody could be. God, he’d read so many horror stories on the internet of people coming out to their presumed-cool parents and getting kicked out or worse.

“Hey, buddy,” Pop said as Will was pouring himself some cereal before school. “Anything big happening?”

“Basketball tryouts,” Will said as Mom shuffled in, blinking her bleary way to the coffee machine. “I’ve got a history test. I’m gay. And I think there’s a PTO bake sale or something, so Pop, you should make some of those cookies.” He held his breath. He hadn’t meant to let it happen this way. For a moment he was paralyzed.

“He should anyway,” Mom said, filling a mug and cupping it between her hand. She leaned against the counter, her hip against Pop’s. Parents in love were so weird. Will rolled his eyes and relaxed. Maybe they hadn’t been listening. It was early and they hadn’t had any coffee yet. Maybe they weren’t really awake. He definitely got that.

“You know what all the rest of the PTO parents say,” Pop said. “My cookie kung fu is the best.”

“Nobody says that,” Will muttered. 

“Some people say it,” Mom corrected. “But not many.” She sipped at her coffee. “Thank you.” 

“For what?” Will asked, chasing the last corn puffs around the bottom of his bowl.

“For confiding in us,” Mom said, and Pop put his arm around her. 

“You know we love you no matter what,” Pop said. “We’re proud of you.” 

Will sniffled. “No matter what?” he said, hating himself for sounding like a baby. 

“No matter what,” Mom told him, coming over and hugging him over the back of his chair. Pop ruffled his hair. “You’re our son. Nothing in this world could make us not love you.”

“Or any other world,” Pop added. Will laughed, mostly out of gratitude.

“I guess that’s a relief,” he said. 

“So you’re going to dominate the history test,” Pop said. “And the basketball tryouts, if that’s what you want to do.”

“And we’ll pull something together for the bake sale,” Mom said. “Maybe we can all do it this weekend after your tryouts.”

“That sounds unbearable,” Will said happily. “I’m only doing it if I get to eat as many chocolate chips as you want.”

“I’ll pick up four or five extra bags,” Mom promised, with the bright smile Will saw on his own face sometimes. 

“And if you bring any boys over, we promise not to interrogate them,” Pop said, with a sideways glance at Mom. “Much. I mean, we are professionals, but we’ll hold ourselves back. Deal?”

“Deal,” Will said, and held out his hand. They shook on it. 

He cried a little in the shower afterward, out of sheer relief. The weather was nice, so he rode his bike to school, the breeze drying his hair. He pedaled faster and faster, his heart thudding joyously in his chest, and when he crested the little hill by the school, it felt like he was flying.


End file.
